Invoking the Classical Past in the Gilded Age: The Greek Myth of Penelope and Women’s Craft

In the 1800s, neoclassical themes were popular in art and design. Penelope, the idealized faithful wife of Greek myth, appeared across a variety of media, from painting to upholstery fabric. Building from a discussion of an 1886 tapestry depicting Penelope (pictured above) by Dora Wheeler Keith, this talk examines the use of women’s craft and the invocation of the classical past in supporting colonial enterprise in late 1800s America.

Speaker: Melissa Funke, department of Classics, University of Winnipeg

This presentation is part of the 2025-2026 UW Community Lecture Series.

You may also like the following events from Winnipeg Public Library:

• Next month, 8th October, 06:30 pm, Make Music Night in Winnipeg
• Next month, 22nd October, 06:30 pm, Make Music Night in Winnipeg
• Next month, 29th October, 06:30 pm, Library Happy Hour: Adult Storytime in Winnipeg

Also check out other Arts events in Winnipeg, Fine Arts events in Winnipeg.